WWE

"The Dolphins did not take care of you. The fact they put you out there, frankly, If I were [Tua], I would not go back and play for the Dolphins, because this was not just a failure of the medical team, this was a failure of the coaching staff, and failure of ownership."

That's Chris Nowinski, one of the world's foremost experts on traumatic brain injuries, very much NOT mincing his words when it comes to the future of 24-year-old Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

And, whether it's in a Dolphins jersey or any of the other 31 teams, Nowinski believes Tua shouldn't see the field for a single snap the rest of the season.

"My advice would be, having been through it and knowing so many dead athlete stories where there was suicide or some aspect of CTE or some traumatic brain injury, do not go back this season."

Of course, the second-year signal caller was on the receiving end of an incredibly scary hit Thursday night ... as the Fins played the Bengals in Cincinnati.

After being slammed to the ground, Tagovailoa appeared to immediately lose consciousness ... and it was clear something was wrong.

Tua was placed on a stretcher and left the stadium in an ambulance, where he was taken to a local Cincy hospital for treatment.

To make matters worse, the game was only five days after Tagovailoa seemingly suffered a head injury against the Bills (Chris says he showed five signs of a potential concussion), but was allowed to return to the game.

As for his current condition, Tua was released from the hospital and was able to fly back to Miami, per reports ... where he's said to be resting at home in good spirits.

But, Chris says this is anything but a story with a happy ending ... 'cause there's real risk of long-term impact, and that's why Nowinski says Tua shouldn't play again this season.

If you're at all familiar with traumatic brain injuries and CTE, you've likely heard of Nowinski. The former WWE wrestler had his career cut short after sustaining a head injury ... and he recognized the sports world misunderstood the injury.

Chris went on to earn his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience, and he co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation and the Boston University CTE Center ... where his work has been celebrated across the world.

Nowinski also had strong words for first-year Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel ... who told media after the game ... "the best news we can give is that everything is checked out that he didn't have anything more serious than a concussion."

"This is a statement of no faith in the coach," Chris flatly said.

"Really what he should be saying is it's nothing more serious than a traumatic brain injury that caused decerebrate posturing which is very rare, and a sign of a very serious injury."

There's much more. Nowinski also explains Tua's hand placement following the scary injury, and lays out the long-term effects with which he may now be forced to live.

Dwight Howard tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about his interest in joining the WWE -- explaining he'd trade the basketball court for the wrestling ring this year if the offer was right.

Howard showed back in July he certainly has the chops to cut it in the squared circle -- delivering an epic promo after crashing a WWE tryout in Nashville.

And, when we got him out at LAX this week, he made it clear that wasn't just a one-off thing ... telling us he really has a desire to eventually go head-to-head with Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley and the rest of the WWE's best in the near future.

In fact, Dwight said if the offer to wrestle in the WWE was better than one an NBA team could give him -- he'd have no qualms taking it.

"Whatever opportunity is best," the NBA free agent said.

As for what kind of personality Dwight would have in the org. -- he said he could be both a hero and a villain.

Triple H, meanwhile, seems to be down to give him the shot ... in a recent interview, WWE's CCO said all Dwight would have to do is give him a call and they could get things rolling.

“The ball’s in his court,” Triple H said ... "He came by our tryouts in Nashville, was incredibly entertaining, jumping in promos by himself and then with others -- incredibly entertaining."

Cody Rhodes is champing at the bit to return to WWE ... telling TMZ Sports the torn pec muscle he suffered has him more motivated than ever to step foot back inside the ring.

And, when we spoke to the WWE Superstar at LAX earlier this week, he told us he's getting closer to making his highly anticipated return.

"They know I'm stupid, and I'd try to test it," Rhodes told us, adding, "I got in my mind where I want to be, and I think a lot of fans have in their mind where I'd like to be, and that's hopefully where it's at."

Despite the serious injury, Rhodes return to the company has been awesome ... as they've embraced him with open arms.

"They've treated me like the house that built me," Rhodes said. "And honestly, it was amazing. "We were back, and everything was rolling so fast. And then I tore my pec."

"It was like the best three months of my life," he continued. "Hopefully, get back to that soon."

Rhodes tore his pectoral muscle while weight training before his match against Seth Rollins at "Hell in a Cell," and joked he was told he had the strength of an 11-year-old.

Rhodes isn't rushing his return, despite badly wanting to wrestle again ... but when he returns, he's intent on capturing the magic he had with the fans pre-injury.

Trish Stratus was rushed into surgery last week after experiencing severe pain in her stomach ... but, thankfully, she is now on the road to recovery.

The WWE legend shared the scary experience with her followers on her social media page on Sunday, saying after a 10-hour travel day, she felt pain so intense that it prompted her to go to the ER.

While there, she said she found out her appendix was "about to burst."

"I’m really glad I went to check it out," Trish said on her Instagram, "you know to avoid the whole dying thing."

Trish -- who said she initially thought nothing of the pain but decided to go to the doc after it kept getting worse -- posted videos of herself on a hospital bed both before and after the procedure. She seemed to be in good spirits in both clips, and said afterward "recovery hasn’t been too bad so far, definitely manageable."

"Got 3 new scars to add to my body badges and one less organ," she said ... adding, "Turns out it’s an organ that serves no function so good riddance old pal."

The 46-year-old -- who was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2013 -- is now encouraging people to check in with their doctors about stomach pain instead of waiting until it's too late to intervene.

"A reminder that if you ever have a nagging pain in your lower right quadrant - do go to emergency," she wrote.

From the wrestling ring ... to Wakanda?!?

WWE superstar Kofi Kingston says he's hoping he can do just that ... telling TMZ Sports this week he's absolutely itching to be in the upcoming "Black Panther" TV series.

"I already fit the mold," he said out LAX. "I was born in the Mother Land, you know what I'm saying? Put your boy on the show!"

The comic book, superhero conversation all came about because during a match earlier this month, Kofi brought out a Thor hammer and wowed the crowd with it.

The 14-time WWE tag team champ showed it off -- and then beat the hell out of his opponent with it ... drawing huge cheers from the audience.

The scene was awesome -- and Kofi said he's desperately trying to replicate it on a Marvel project going forward.

"Look, man, there's a lot of us that are Marvel fans," Kofi said, "myself, Woods and E, your boys -- The New Day -- would love to be in a Marvel movie."

"We put things out into the universe and then we pray for the most positive. It's all about putting yourself out there."

Kofi Kingston is in awe at how fast Logan Paul has transitioned into a WWE Superstar ... telling TMZ Sports the YouTuber's skills in the squared circle are unreal!

We recently caught up with Kofi -- a 14x WWE tag team champ -- out at LAX, and he told us Paul's star power, coupled with his ability to pick up the craft quickly, makes him a perfect fit for WWE.

"To me, it just makes sense," Kingston said. "When you think about how popular Logan Paul is and even his entire story. His come-up and what he's been able to do in the world of boxing and entertainment in general, it would only make sense for us to be hand in glove."

Kofi praised Paul -- who alongside The Miz, wrestled his first match against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 -- saying, "he has a bright future ahead of him."

"To see what he did in the ring is very impressive," Kofi said.

"Especially as a performer who has seen a lot of people and has gone through the whole learning process, he shouldn't be that good, that quickly."

Kingston -- 1/3 of the "The New Day" -- said he takes Logan's word when he says pro wrestling is harder than boxing  ... adding it's a "true art."

"Well, I've never been a professional boxer, but it's awesome to hear him say that and kind of put respect on the grind that is WWE."

Kingston also said Big E's injury -- where he was dropped on his neck by Ridge Holland following a botched move -- reminds him how scary it is being a WWE performer.

"With E's situation and him breaking his neck ... you're reminded of just how dangerous what we do is," Kofi said. "It only takes one second for everything to go awry."

Former WWE superstar Velveteen Dream exploded on a gym employee before his arrest last month ... punching the man in the face and then biting him -- this according to new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

The incident allegedly happened on Aug. 20 at around 8:4 PM at Club Orlando -- a fitness facility in Orlando, Fl.

Cops in the docs say a senior employee at the gym told them that an altercation between him and Velveteen Dream began after he said the wrestler had to leave an area that was closed for cleaning.

The man claimed Dream -- real name Patrick Clark -- went off on him, becoming "irate and argumentative." Things allegedly got so intense, the gym employee told Clark he had to leave the building entirely.

According to the docs, Clark then made threats to kill the gym employee -- before he hit the guy in his face.

Cops say the gym employee told them the two then got into a fight -- where Clark bit him. The two were then separated by another employee at the facility, cops say.

According to the documents, officers arrested Clark after they observed teeth marks on the employee's "left chest near the left armpit."

Court records show Clark has since been charged with two misdemeanors -- battery and trespassing on a property after warning -- over the incident. The records show his attorney did file a written plea of not guilty in the case.

As we reported, 27-year-old Clark was arrested again just six days later ... on a warrant for a violation of probation by the Orlando Police Department.

Brutal couple days for former WWE superstar Velveteen Dream last week -- TMZ Sports has confirmed he was arrested TWICE in Florida.

According to court records, VD -- real name Patrick Clark -- was initially arrested on Aug. 20 by the Orlando Police Dept. and booked on misdemeanor charges of battery and trespass on property after warning.

It's unclear what the wrestler has exactly been accused of -- we're working on it -- but the records show his attorney filed a written plea of not guilty and his arraignment hearing, set for September, was canceled.

Just six days later, on Aug. 26, Clark was arrested again in Orange County, Fla., according to jail records.

Orange County Corrections Department officials tell us he was booked on an out-of-county warrant for a violation of probation by the Orlando Police Department.

We're told it all stemmed from a previous drug case against the wrestler in Seminole County, Fla.

OCCD officials say Clark is currently being held on a no-bond status and is still in the Orange County Jail. He is expected to be turned over to Seminole County soon.

The 27-year-old first joined the WWE in 2015 -- and he went on to become a star in NXT, showing off insane athleticism and over-the-top promos, stunts and moves. He was marred in controversy in 2020, though, following allegations that he sent indecent photos to underage kids. He vehemently denied the claims.

Nikki Bella is officially a married woman -- 'cause after 3 years of dating the ex-WWE star tied the knot with her "Dancing with the Stars" dancer fiancé, Artem Chigvintsev, in an intimate ceremony in Paris!!

The former wrestler and Broadway star got married in front of a small group of friends and family ... according to E! News.

Nikki posted a photo of her and Artem's hands with their wedding rings ... saying, "We said I DO, can't wait to share the entire journey with you all when our four-part special event."

The former "Total Bellas" star also shared a pic of the newlyweds in each other's arms as they took in the Paris skyline.

Nikki and Artem -- who met when they were partners on season 25 of 'DWTS' -- have one child, a little boy named Matteo, who was born in July 2020.

Nikki and Artem were engaged for a while due to the pandemic and coronavirus restrictions, but always knew they wanted to say "I Do" ... and now they did!!

You'll recall ... at one point during their relationship, "Good Morning America" accidentally called Nikki Artem's wife before the two ever jumped the broom.

Nikki and Artem were not married then, but now, after years of waiting, the romantic duo can proudly say they are husband and wife.

Vince McMahon celebrated his 77th birthday with his good friend, John Cena, yesterday ... in his first public sighting since retiring as the CEO and Chairman of WWE last month.

The 77-year-old billionaire hit up the Waverly Inn restaurant in NYC ... and was naturally joined by Cena, the 16-time WWE champion, and his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh.

Interestingly enough ... an unidentified woman was seen walking behind Vince as he prepared to get into his sprinter van. McMahon's wife Linda was absent.

You'll recall ... Vince resigned, then officially retired, after the Wall Street Journal published a story several months ago, claiming the WWE honcho paid multiple women "hush money" over the years.

McMahon's retirement sent shockwaves through the sports entertainment world ... and he's maintained a relatively low profile since announcing the news in mid-July.

Vince appeared to have no interest in talking ... as he tried hiding his face as he was getting into his vehicle.

Former AEW star Jake Atlas told cops he was "an international trained superstar" and then slammed his boyfriend as "terrible at sex" in a rant during his arrest back in May ... new police video shows.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see a police officer was trying to ask an agitated Atlas questions about an alleged domestic violence incident between him and his BF outside of his Orlando, Fl. home on May 23.

But, the wrestler, whose boyfriend had accused him of roughing him up during an argument earlier in the evening, appeared to be in no mood to play ball with the cop.

Instead, Atlas told the officer about his wrestling resume, all while bashing his boyfriend and their relationship repeatedly.

"I am an international trained superstar," said the 27-year-old, who is openly gay. "I have worked across the country, across the world, with my name. He is a nobody."

Atlas, real name Kenny Sanchez Martinez, went on to call the man a "f**ing bitch ass, f***ing p***y" ... before ultimately telling the cop, "[he] is a terrible boyfriend and he's terrible at sex."

The cop tried repeatedly to get Atlas to tell his side of the story and explain the events that had gone down earlier in the evening, but the wrestler never seemed to cooperate. Atlas was eventually arrested on the scene and later booked on a domestic violence battery charge.

Atlas' charges were eventually dropped, however ... with officials writing in court documents, "this case is not suitable for prosecution."

The wrestler later commented on the case following its disposition in July, apologizing "for my wrongdoing and any hurt, disappointment and complication I may have caused to my colleagues and fans."

Atlas said he participated in an outpatient program to deal with "a dual diagnosis in substance abuse and mental health," and is continuing to seek treatment.

Titus O'Neil isn't worried about the future of WWE ... telling TMZ Sports that the company is in good hands under the leadership of "The Game" Triple H -- calling him a "visionary" who has a "great mind" for the business.

O'Neil was effusive in his praise of both his former boss Vince McMahon AND Triple H, who stepped in after Vince retired as CEO and chairman of the sports entertainment conglomerate last month.

"I have full confidence that in time Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will continue to guide us into a whole another stratosphere when it comes to sports entertainment," O'Neil said.

"I think he will play to the purist of wrestling fans as well as those that love sports entertainment and combine it with the best of the best."

Titus -- who has been with WWE since 2009 -- gave HHH credit for signing megastars Logan Paul and Gable Steveson to the company ... saying both "will help contribute greatly to our business."

"Those are just two of, I'm sure, a lot more to come in regards to what Triple H is going to be able to as [the] head of creative," Titus said.

"Vince [McMahon] took a lot of chances," O'Neil said of the 76-year-old billionaire, "and Triple H, I'm sure, will do the same."

Vince grew the WWE into the most popular sports entertainment brand worldwide, but Titus believes HHH's time in charge of NXT prepared him for this moment.

As WWE prepares to celebrate the 1200th episode of "Smackdown," Drew McIntyre tells TMZ Sports he's obsessed with beating Roman Reigns in two weeks at "WWE Clash at the Castle" ... 'cause he has to finally win it all in front of fans!!

McIntyre and Reigns are set to meet face-to-face in the ring Friday night on a historic edition of "Smackdown" -- one of WWE's three flagship programs -- and the former two-time WWE champ isn't backing down from Reigns, whose held both titles for over 700 days!!

"I'm looking to raise those titles and Roman has been on this incredible run. But the truth is, it's been 700 days," Drew said. "He's not here as often as he used to be. I do believe titles need to be represented every single week. He's not able to do that these days."

McIntyre -- a native of Scotland -- told us a victory at 'Clash at the Castle,' which will be held in Wales for the first time in over 30 years, would mean the world to him since his first two title runs came with limited or no fans.

"I am very proud of the fact I was champion during that difficult time," McIntyre said. "I'm glad I was the champ setting the example. As a kid, I had the dream of main-eventing WrestleMania, lifting the title in the main event and I did that."

"But I also imagined there being tens of thousands of screaming people there," Drew said. "Which there wasn't."

"I would like to have some live fans in attendance for that third reign and I have the biggest opportunity of my life to do that in the UK, in the heart of Wales, against Roman. This is something I couldn't have envisioned as a kid because it didn't exist."

McIntyre -- who beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 to win his first-ever WWE title during the height of the pandemic -- knows defeating Reigns will be a tall task, but, ultimately, the Scottish native thinks a victory near his home turf is what's best for business.

"I think that titles need to be represented every single week and on the shows and in the live events and the appearances," McIntyre said. "And I want to be that man to represent the company on the highest level."

WWE Superstar Austin Theory knows it's damn near impossible to replace his former boss, Vince McMahon ... but there's one person he believes can and will get the job done, and that's the billionaire's son-in-law -- Triple H!!

TMZ Sports spoke with 25-year-old Theory -- who was with rising women's star Raquel -- out at LAX ... and asked him his thoughts on HHH succeeding Vince as the company's heartbeat.

"Triple H, I feel like he has a very creative mind," Theory said, "and I think now he always says it's very hard to fill Mr. McMahon's shoes, and it's gonna take a lot of people to do that."

Theory and Raquel both expressed that there's a level of comfortability with "The Game" in charge as the head honcho ... and the relationship they developed with him formed during their time in NXT.

"I would say for me, and I'm sure she feels the same way, but both of us coming up in NXT and Triple H was in charge there along with Shawn Michaels, and for us, it was a great experience," Theory said.

"I feel like there's a lot more freedom now and a lot more to explore," he added.

Theory called Vince, his former on-screen mentor, "iconic" and said that anybody stepping in after him would inevitably have tough shoes to fill because of what Vince meant to the world of sports entertainment.

"I would just say with Mr. McMahon, he's always gonna be, I think John Cena just said it, if there was a Mount Rushmore, he'd be the only one on it," Theory said.

Ex-WWE Superstar Paige says she felt "so f***ing stupid" and "so embarrassed" after her sex tape leaked in 2017 ... claiming she "didn't want to be alive anymore" and "was ready to end it all."

Paige -- who now goes by her real name, Saraya-- joined Renee Paquette on the podcast, "The Sessions" ... where she described how she hit "rock bottom" when her nude photos and videos hit the Internet.

"It was just the most awful moment of my life," Saraya said. "The person that I was with at the time showed me a picture on Twitter."

"I was just like, 'Oh my God,'" Saraya recalled. "I was like, 'Is that real?’ because I couldn’t believe it was real at first."

"I was f***ing 19 years old, and I was completely f***ing mortified. I ran out of the house. I ran. I just kept f***ing running," she continued.

Saraya says the video got her to a point where she felt like she "didn't really want to be alive anymore."

"It was f***ing awful. I just was so f***ing sad. I remember being like, 'If my dad is disappointed with me, I don’t think I could be here anymore.'"

On top of the public humiliation and potential scolding from WWE looming, Paige most feared her father would be disappointed in her once he saw the video.

Fortunately, Paige's father was understanding, explaining to his pro wrestler daughter that she had to "suck it up" ... and adding that he was still proud of her.

Paige also thanked WWE for supporting her ... and says the company even offered to help her get as much footage as they could off the Internet.

The legendary "Judo" Gene LeBell -- possibly the most badass man to ever walk the earth -- has died at the age of 89, and some of the biggest sports stars in the world are showing love in light of his passing.

LeBell passed away Tuesday ... leaving behind an incomparable legacy in mixed martial arts and wrestling.

Nicknamed the "Godfather of Grappling," LeBell's journey to stardom began when he won the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships in 1954 and 1955.

LeBell is widely credited with introducing catch wrestling and grappling techniques to pro wrestling and MMA.

Speaking of MMA ... long before Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock fought at UFC 1 (1993), Gene fought in the first televised bout in America in 1963.

Gene, with his judo and grappling, beat top-ranked light-heavyweight boxer Milo Savage.

LeBell also trained some of Hollywood's biggest names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee.

Gene and Bruce first met during filming of the TV show "The Green Hornet" ... and became friends, often training together.

He also served as the referee for Muhammad Ali's crossover bout with Antonio Inoki in 1976.

Gene, also an actor and stuntman, appeared in hundreds of movies (there's a totally unverified story about LeBell and Steven Seagal going at it on set -- look it up).

Expertise aside, LeBell was revered for his relationships with fighters and wrestlers over his storied career, most notably former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Gene trained Rousey (a former Judo star) ... and he also worked with WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the inspiration for the "Rowdy Ronda" character.

On Wednesday, Ronda posted a photo of her and Gene together ... captioning the pic, "Legend."

Triple H, a 14-time WWE champ, took to Twitter to express his gratitude and appreciation for Gene's contributions to the industry over the years.

"Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment," HHH wrote. "A teacher to many of the sport’s greats, his influence is felt throughout @WWE to this day."

"Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time."